Cover structure for amusement devices



June 15 1926.

A. SPILLMAN covER STRUCTURE FOR AMUSEMENT DEVICES Filed March 20 1925 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR I June 15 1926.

1,588,820- A. SPILLMAN COVER STRUCTURE FOR AMUSEMENT DEVICES Filed March 20, 5 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 F -C A.

v r r s k v I r g I lqau El INVZNI'OK A gTSn MA BY Patented June 15, 1926.

ALBERT SPILLMAN, OF NORTH TONAWANZDA, NEW YGRK.

COVER STRUCTURE FOR AMUSEMENT DEVICES.

Application filed March 20, 1925. Serial No. 17,087.

My invention relates to improvements in cover structures for amusement devices and the object of the invention is to devise a structure which can be quickly and easily assembled and dismounted, a feature which is particularly desirable in devices of this nature which travel from one amusement park to another. A further object of the invention is to devise a structure having a plurality of similar sections in which there will be no necessity for having such sectionsnumbered or otherwise identified for assembly purposes. A still furt ier object of the invention is to construct a device which can be made perfectly rigid by means ofv a single cable and turnbuckle.

My invention consists of an apparatus constructed and arranged allas hereinafter more. particularly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which 2- Fig. 1 is a plan view of my device, a portion of the cover fabric being-removed in order to disclose the supporting framework.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the complete structure.

Fig. 3 is anenlarged elevational view of one of the structure sections, the means be ing shown for attaching the various portions of the section together.

liigm l is an enlarged front elevational view of a broken away portion ofmy .construction showing two of the structure supporting standards.

Fig. 5 is a further enlarged elevational detaihpartly in section, of "the head piece of .one of the upright standards showing the sockets into which the upper peripheral rods are inserted.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view thereof, the inner end of the head being broken away to disclose the hook attachment which is detachably securedthereto.

Like characters of reference indicate the corresponding parts in the different views.

My structure consists of a substantially circular frame and is supported outwardly upon a plurality of upright standards 1. The upper ends 2 thereof being bent out-. wardly and adapted to receive the head pieces Eli-the upper of the portions 2 .being' inserted. into the sockets {is side of the head-piece 'ii.is provided with a socket 5 into which the ends of the upper horizontal peripheral sections 6 are inserted. Snch se'c tions are preferably made of tubing which have the advantage of being;hotlistihriQend of its height.

light. In the center of the sockets 5 I pro vide outwardly extending cone shaped members 7 which enter into the ends of the sections 6 and prevent such sections dropping out ofthc sockets .5 before structure assembly is finally tightened up, as shall be hereinafter described.

8 is the central post of the structure which is secured upon any suitable base. 9 are a plurality ,of radially extending rods, their inner ends being each inserted into one of the sockets 10 which are provided in the periphery of a circular plate 11 which is suitably secured on the post 8 intermediately 12 are a plurality of are shaped rods having their outer ends provided with hook members 13 which are adapted to engage the respective cross pieces 14 which are each secured between a pair of inwardly extending plates 15 on the head pieces 3. 16 are downwardly extending lugson the hooks 13 and 17 are looking members pivotally mounted between thelugs-l6 and adapted to drop downwardly into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 6 in order to prevent the hook 13 disengaging from the head piece 3.

y The inner ends of the are shaped tubes 12 are also provided with hook members 18 which are adapted to hook into horizontally positioned eyes 19 provided upon the outer faces of members 20 on the outer ends of the radially extending rods 9. 21 are eyes on the upperfaces of the members 20, and 22 are a plurality of downwardly extending supporting rods, their upper ends being each hooked into one of a plurality of circumferentially positioned orifices 23 in a plate 2a which is'suitably secured to the post 8 in the vicinity of its upper end. The lower ends of the rods 22 are also provided with hooks and adapted to engage the respective eyes 21 in themembers 20 and thus constitute supports for the outer ends of the rods 9. 25 is a plate secured upon the'post 8 intermediately of its height and arovided with a plurality of circumferential y positioned orifices 26. 27 area. plurality of cables havingeyes 28 in he RPIifllilld fllC dap e to ng ge Qu ofthefliooks'1 2O oh the lower faces of the member'sZO. l p i h i (ernd ofth cab e 2 r -each 'suitablyfsecured to a lever 30, jonelend of:

wli ie 'i r t a y-mount d 11 1 a emb which has"its outerLend. i epressed and see s nses are the lever 30. The inner end of each member 31 is provided with a hook 32 which is adapted to be inserted into one of the orifices 26 in the plate 25.

The object of providing the member 31 and the arm 30 pivotally secured thereon is to provide a quick acting means for tightening the cables 27. On reference to Figure 3 it will be seen that when the arm is in the position illustrated in dotted lines that the cable 2'? is slack which will permit the hook 32 to be easily inserted into its orifice 25. \Vhen this is done the lever 30 is swung upwardly and inwardly into the position shown in full lines in Figure 3 thus drawing forward and tightening the cable 27.

A rotating platform 33 is provided for carrying passengers, its inner edge being furnished with a plurality of posts 3 which support a guard chain 35 which is held in place on such posts by means of two outwardly and upwardly extending lugs 36 the chain being inserted between the lugs and the post. I also provide a similarly sup-' ported guard chain upon the outer edge of the structure, such chain being inserted between lugs 37 and the standards '1, the lugs extending upwardly from collars 38 which are suitably secured on the standards. 39 is a platform which is supported on the outside by the standards 1 and on the inside by suitably constructed and positioned standards 10.

The operation of my device is as follows:

When it is desired to erect the structure, the central post 8 is suitably secured in position and the hooked inner end of one of the rods 22 is inserted into one of the orifices 23 in the plate 24-. When this is done, one of the radially extending rods 9 is then lifted up and the outer end of the rod 22 is secured to the eye 21 on the member 20, and the inner end of the rod 9 is inserted into the recess 10 directly below the orifice 23 into which the hooked inner end of the rod 22 is inserted. This operation is continued until all the pairs of rods 9 and 22 are swung into position. The inner hooked ends of the cables 27 are now inserted into the orifices 26 in the plate 25, the cables 27 being slack. In order to tighten the cables it is merely necessary to swing the respective arms 30 upwardly and inwardly as before described. When this is done it will be seen that the radial rods 9 are rigidly supported.

The upright standards 1 and the platform supporting structure is now positioned in place around the central post 8 and the horizontally extending sections 6 are now positioned between the head pieces 3 on the tops of the standards 1, the sections being loosely inserted into the sockets 5, the cone shaped members 7 preventing thesections from fall ing out of the sockets. The are shaped'rods are now positioned. in place by engaging the hooks 13 with the cross pieces 14 in the heads 3, the inner hooks 18 being also inserted into the eyes 19 on the outer ends of the radial rods 9. To tighten up the complete structure I provide a cable 39 which passes around the outside of the upper edge of the structure, being supported upon the upwardly extending hooks 10 on the outer faces of the head pieces 3. 41 is a turnbuckle provided between the ends of the cable, eonstituting the means whereby the cable 1s drawn taut drawing the whole structure 1nwardly, and locking the sections 6 in the sockets 5 against the head pieces 3 on the posts 1.

The arc shaped rods 12 constitute a support for a circular canvas top 42, the inner edge which is provided with a lashing which passes over books as on the upper faces of the hook members 18, the outer edge of the top being secured to hooks td on the upper faces of the head pieces 3. An outer lashing is also provided and is adapted to pass around the sections (3. I also provide a fabric cornice 45 which is suitably supported by the head pieces 3 on the standards 1.

In order to dismantle my structure it is merely necessary to slacken the cable 39 by means of the turnbuckle 41-1, and slacken the cables 27 by means of the swingable arms 30. These operations loosen the whole structure and permit it to be readily taken apart. The recesses 10 which are provided in the member 11 are oval in shape so as to permit variant angles of the radial rods 9 through the use of longer or shorter supporting rods 22. It will be seen that by the use of these oval recesses any rod.9 can be inserted into any recess irrespective of the length of its supporting rod 22.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have produced an extremely simple and sturdy structure which may be very readily assembled, dismounted and packed for transit. Furthermore by the use of a plurality of similar and interchangeable sections, I have obviated the delay which generally accompanies the erection of a structure in which only specially fitting sections can be coupled together.

lVhat I claim for my invention is:

1. A covering structure for amusement devices comprising an upright member, a disc mounted upon the upright member and having a plurality of oval sockets therein, radial rods extending outwardly from the upright member, the inner ends of the rods being positioned in thesockets, a plurality of rods of various length extending downwardly from the upright member to the radial rods. the radial rods being permitted vertical movement in the sockets for adjustment in connecting them to downwardly extending rods of various lengths.

A, severing structure f r amusement e vices comprising an upright member, a plurality of upright standards positioned about the upright member, connections between the upright member and the upright standards, substantially horizontal members extending between the upright standards, and adjustable means surrounding the upright standards for securing the horizontal members to the upright standards.

3. A covering structure for amusement devices comprising an upright member, a plurality of upright standards positioned about the upright member, connections between the upright member and the upright standards, heads on the upright standards having sockets therein, horizontal members positioned between the upright standards, their ends being positioned in the sockets, a cable passing around the upright standards and means for tightening the cable to rigidly secure the horizontal members against the heads on the upright standards.

4. A cover structure for amusement devices comprising an upright member, a plurality of upright standards positioned about the upright member, a plurality of radial rods extending outwardly from the upright member, covering supporting members supported between the outer ends of the radial rods and the upright standards and adjustable means surrounding and engaging the standards for drawing the respective radial rods and covering supporting members together.

5. A cover structure for amusement de vices comprising an. upright member, a plurality of radial rods extending outwardly from the upright member, covering supporting members extending from the ends of the radial rods, horizontal members extending between the outer ends of adjacent covering supporting members and adjustable means surrounding the ends of the covering supporting members for securing the horizontal members in their adjusted positions.

6. A cover structure for amusement devices comprising an upright member, a plurality of radial rods extending outwardly from the upright member, tie rods extending downwardly from the upright member to the radial rods, cables extending downwardly from the 'adial rods to the upright member, a plurality of upright standards positioned about the upright member, cover ing supporting members supported between the outer end of the radial rods and the upright standards, horizontal members extending between the upright standards and adjustable means surrounding the upright standards for securing the units of the structure in their adjusted positions.

ALBERT SPILLMAN. 

